Sustainable Development Of Modern Society Research Articles

Highly selective adsorption and biodegradation of emulsified oil by microorganisms embedded in SiO2 hollow sphere bioreactor

Highly efficient elimination and disposal of oils and organic contaminants from water is of great importance for the sustainable development of modern society. In this work, micron-sized “single pore” silica hollow spheres (SHMs) bioreactors were prepared using (W/O/W) ternary-phase microemulsion, and the size of pores was adjusted to the concept of “single-pore” composite microorganism bioreactor, preparation of single-pore silica hollow spheres with an average pore size of 8.572 μm, which enables the SHMs bioreactors to load microorganisms for oils biodegradation. The outer layer was sprayed with a layer of silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 500 nm produced by silane hydrolysis, which encapsulated the inner “single-pore” SHMs to form a core–shell structure (M/Microbe@SHMs). This micro-nano core–shell structure exhibits superhydrophobicity and superlipophilicity, which gives it excellent selective adsorption capacity. Interestingly, M/Microbe@SHMs have excellent emulsion-breaking effects in oil–water separation. In addition to the simultaneous oil/water separation ability, the adsorbed oil and grease can be subsequently degraded to CO2 and H2O by microorganisms' action in the inner layer of M/Microbe@SHMs. Based on this excellent selective adsorption and oil/water separation capacity, while one-step in-situ biodegradation, our microbial bioreactor may have a potential for a wide range of practical applications in wastewater treatment.

High temperature, bargaining power and within-firm wage inequality: Evidence from China

Climate change poses a significant challenge to the sustainable development of modern society, while its influence on income inequality remains understudied. This study examines how high temperature affects within-firm wage inequality using Chinese listed companies from 2006 to 2020. Results suggest that high temperature significantly increases managerial compensation while reducing employee wages, thereby exacerbating within-firm wage inequality. The main driver is the disparity in bargaining power between management and employees. China's 2012 heat subsidy policy has mitigated this inequality. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that in environments where employees wield more bargaining power, such as state-owned enterprises, sectors employing highly skilled workers, and regions with stronger unions, the negative impact is less pronounced. Conversely, in developed managerial markets, regulated industries, and large enterprises, where management holds stronger bargaining power, this impact is notably significant. These findings offer crucial insights for policymakers and stakeholders in addressing climate risks and regulating income distribution.

Current trends in international organised crime combating cooperation

Organised crime is one of the most serious problems of our time, causing damage to the environment, and economy and hindering the sustainable development of modern society. The study aims to analyse the regional, historical, socio-political and other factors that affect the quality and effectiveness of international cooperation in the fight against organised crime. The study is based on an analysis of several critical factors that determine effective international cooperation in the fight against organised crime. The methodological basis of the study consists of such methods as comparative and structural-functional analysis, and formal legal methods, which were used to study the current state of organised crime, international mechanisms for combating it and their regulatory framework. The analysis was based on the experience of international cooperation in such countries as the United States, Ukraine, Japan, Australia and Cameroon. The study identified trends in the correlation between the level of organised crime and the level of corruption, regional factors, and the level of civil society development. The findings of the study confirm the view that the international legal obligations assumed by national governments only slightly affect the level of involvement of national authorities in the fight against international organised crime. The study establishes that high-quality international cooperation most often occurs between democracies, but cases of such cooperation between authoritarian and democratic governments are not an exception. The results of the study provide important conclusions for further analysis of organised crime and the possibilities of international cooperation between state authorities and other actors of international relations involved in the fight against organised crime

Thermo-economic and environmental analysis of a CO2 residential air conditioning system in comparison to HFC-410A and HFC-32 in temperate and subtropical climates

Energy conversion in accordance with environmental protection is becoming one of the dominant factors for the sustainable development of modern society. Most of the present air-conditioning (AC) systems use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which contribute to global warming, as the working fluid. In contrast, natural refrigerants, such as CO2 (carbon dioxide), NH3 (ammonia), R290 (propane) and hydrocarbons (HCs) have a significantly lower climate relevance. Furthermore, R744 (carbon dioxide) is favorable, from the perspective of safety, compared to R290 and R717 (ammonia). In this study, an energetic, environmental, and economic analysis is conducted to evaluate the performance of a residential air-conditioning system using CO2, R410A, and R32 as the working fluids. An assessment is carried out by analyzing the AC systems in temperate and subtropical regions in Europe, in particular Munich, Florence, and Malaga. The load demand of a multi-family house is estimated by the Hourly Analysis Program (HAP). The AC systems and their energy consumption is simulated by Aspen Plus and validated by experimental data. The life cycle assessment is performed using SimaPro software and, additionally, an economic analysis is conducted. The results show that the annual emitted CO2-equivalents of the CO2 air-conditioning system are up to 75.1% lower than those of R410A and R32. However, in case of CO2 as the working fluid, the annual energy efficiency ratio is reduced by between 23.3% and 31.4%, while the life cycle cost increases by up to 55.4% compared to the studied HFC air-conditioning systems. In general, it was concluded that, for countries in the temperate zone, it is a promising way to adopt a CO2 air-conditioning system for space cooling in the near future with the assistance of an electricity price subsidy and CO2 compressor price reduction, while it is not suitable for countries in the subtropical zone, such as Malaga.

Multifunctional materials with controllable superwettability for oil–water separation and removal of pollutants: Design, emerging applications, and challenges

AbstractThe water pollution problem caused by large‐scale industrial activity is becoming increasingly serious, which not only poses a major threat to the ecosystem and human health but also seriously impedes the green and sustainable development of modern society. It is urgent to efficiently purify stubborn wastewater containing oils and other pollutants to eliminate their harm to human and environment. Therefore, it is desirable to develop multifunctional materials that can simultaneously remove oil and various pollutants or microorganisms by filtration or absorption methods to meet the practical demand for highly effective purification of wastewater with complex components. This paper summarizes the latest research progress on the “oil removal” and “water removal” materials capable of purifying complex oily wastewater and their applications in adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, antibacterial, magnetic recovery, and others. The producing routes of multifunctional materials by constructing variable wettability surfaces and introducing functional components were summarized, and the mechanism of multifunctional materials in removing oil and various pollutants was discussed. On the basis of summarizing the types, compositions, and conventional separation technologies of oil‐bearing wastewater, the preparation methods and applications of the widely concerned convertible materials with complex wettability are also introduced, and the challenges and future development trends of efficient multifunctional oil–water separation and pollutant purification materials are proposed. It is expected to provide a reference for the development of more high‐performance multifunctional purification materials.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ПІДПРИЄМНИЦЬКОЮ ДІЯЛЬНІСТЮ В ГАЛУЗІ СПОРТИВНОЇ ІНДУСТРІЇ ПІД ВПЛИВОМ ГЕОЕКОНОМІЧНИХ ВИКЛИКІВ

The article is devoted to the study of business management in the sports industry under the influence of geo-economic challenges. Economics in the field of the sports industry is a strategic tool for ensuring the sustainable development of modern society. The potential of the sports industry as a branch of the economy is greater dynamism of development, the ability to withstand economic fluctuations and the ability to overcome the consequences of economic crises. The business environment of the sports industry, in which business activities in the sports industry are managed, is characterized by unpredictable consumer behavior and illogical decisions. Against this background, the study of consumer motivation is the majority for understanding the economic mechanisms of business management in the sports industry. In the field of the sports industry, the supply forms the demand, accordingly, unique approaches to the management of business activities in the industry under the influence of geopolitical challenges are required. A scarce resource is human resources – physical capabilities, fitness, bodybuilding, etc. Along with powerful opportunities, this branch of the sports industry has significant critical risk factors under the influence of geo-economic challenges. It has been established that the management of business activities in the sports industry, as an environment for regulating state economic activity, is characterized by a dual nature. On the one hand, it is a sector of economic interests and entrepreneurship, but on the other, it is the sphere of social production of intangible goods, goods and services related to the sports industry. It has been established that the sports industry sector presents significant risk factors under the influence of geo-economic challenges that are characteristic of this type of economic activity. The article defines the mechanisms of minimizing the specified risks, which are created under the influence of geo-economic challenges in the management of business activities in the field of the sports industry.

Discussion on Environmental Energy and Sustainable Development from Sociology Perspective

Environmental energy is inseparable from the sustainable development of modern human society. Currently, most research on environmental energy focuses on the regeneration and sustainable development of environmental energy combined with reality. Based on sociological perspectives, the sustainable development of environmental energy is discussed and analyzed, but there are still some deficiencies. During using energy, its impact is not only simply manifested in the impact on the environment, but also the crisis brought about by the whole society is very prominent. Therefore, it is of great significance to further strengthen the research on the sustainable development of environmental energy from the perspective of sociology and clarify the future development strategy to ensure the sustainable development of modern society and effectively deal with the social crisis brought about by environmental energy.

Fabrication of stalk fiber/geopolymers-based slow-release fertilizer with agricultural waste and loess for promoting plant growth

The reutilization of agricultural waste is an important strategy to ensure the sustainable development of modern society. In this work, corn stalk fiber (CoS), a typical discarded biomass from agricultural production, was composited with loess-based geopolymer (LoGP), along with loading urea and in-situ grafting polymer of acrylic acid, which afforded a novel slow-release fertilizer of corn stalk fiber/geopolymer (N @ CoSP/LoGP). Its composition, microstructure and morphology were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, TG and BET. Its water absorption, water retention capacity, swelling behavior, and N sustained-release performance were also measured. And the sustained-release mechanism was discussed by using a kinetic model of dissolution and release. It was found that the prepared composited fertilizer could enhance the water retention capacity of soil, and the maximum swelling rate of N @ CoSP/LoGP in water and 0.9 wt. % NaCl solution were 263.2 g/g and 62.5 g/g, respectively. Its swelling rate kept to 80 % than that of the initial value after 6 cycles, the water holding capacity of soil, containing 2 wt. % of N @ CoSP/LoGP, reached more than 25 days. Furthermore, the promoting plant growth action of N @ CoSP/LoGP was tested through pot experiments of corn. It indicated that the prepared composited fertilizer could effectively promote the germination and growth of corn crop as it released 60.6 % of nutrients within 45 days. In summary, a strategy for reutilization of agricultural waste and low-cost loess was explored, and the obtained composited fertilizer has great potential application in agricultural production.

Current trends in language ecosystem for a sustainable world

The article touches upon the issues of neology and ecolinguistics that are relevant for modern linguistics. From the point of view of ecolinguistics, language is an ecosystem capable of constantly changing and self-regulating. In this ecosystem, new words are constantly being formed, the meanings of old words are changing, which reflects the most significant processes and changes taking place in society at the moment of its development. The aim of this article is to identify current trends in language development reflecting the sustainable development of modern society: the features of the functioning of derived neologisms in modern English, the role of borrowings in replenishing the vocabulary of the language, as well as the study and determination of the specifics of their use in various spheres of life. The studied neologisms reflect almost all areas of life of modern English-speaking society, while most of the new lexical units are vocabulary related to everyday life, household needs, medicine and science caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Role and Prospects of Sustainable Development in Economics

Currently, in world practice, there has been a trend towards a transition to a sustainable economy, which implies socio-economic development with an impact on the environment within the economic capacity of the biosphere. The article considers the historical stages of the formation of the criterion of sustainable development in the world economy as a triune model consisting of economic development, solving social problems of society and environmental protection. Examples of government programs and decisions of the Russian Federation aimed at achieving the strategic goals of the country’s development and, as a result, contributing to the development of the global sustainable economy are given. The relevance of the educational sphere in the upbringing of a generation with new thinking based on knowledge, skills, value orientations and behavioral attitudes aimed at the sustainable development of modern society is noted.

Sustainable development of green energy-automated bird protection at wind farms

Green energy facilitates the sustainable development of modern society. To meet the increasing demand for wind energy, however, wind turbines are installed in more and more challenging locations, often close to the natural environment of birds. Rotating at high speed, the blades of wind turbines are hardly visible to avifauna, leading to numerous collisions and fatalities. This poses a question as to whether the most recent technological achievements can be relied on to reduce the impact of man-made structures on birds. The presented research tests the potential use of the automated Bird Protection System (BPS) developed by Bioseco for collision risk mitigation at wind farms. The BPS was installed and tested in a real environment, at a wind turbine in northern Poland. The performed validation showed that at a distance of up to 300 m the BPS performs at least as well as a skilled ornithologist and large bird species are successfully detected from over 600 m.

Regulation of the flow of tourists during the design of ecological paths with the aim of preserving natural resources in specially protected natural territories

The relevance of the topic of the work lies in the consideration of one of the most promising methods of gentle nature management — ecological tourism. Special attention is paid to the state nature reserve "Bureinsky", namely to the assessment of anthropogenic factors that can lead to a decrease in the number of visitors to the reserve. The article describes in detail the technique of "estimation of current capacity" and its practical application on the territory of the ecological trail "At the Sources of Burea" in the State Nature Reserve "Bureinsky". An important sphere of activity in the sustainable development of the state and the development of ecological tourism is the provision and preservation, restoration of the environment in the process of recreational use and minimization of possible negative consequences. The use of this technique allows you to regulate the level of negative anthropogenic impact on the natural environment and create optimal conditions for visiting the reserve in a short time without resorting to the involvement of outside specialists. The article offers a list of the most significant factors of anthropogenic impact, taking into account their weight in the impact on natural territories, based on which the number of visitors to the route under consideration was calculated. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the correction of the method of calculating the recreational capacity to prevent the degradation of the natural environment of hard-to-reach protected natural territories, which will allow the development of ecological tourism in hard-to-reach protected natural territories in the context of sustainable development. The authors consider possible prospects for the development of ecological tourism in the reserve and offer options for the distribution of the flow of tourists, which can contribute to the sustainable development of modern society, in which future generations will inherit from us the world around us with parts of the earth's surface without any changes. The purpose of this article is to calculate the maximum permissible recreational capacity of the trail "At the Sources of Burea" on the territory of the State Nature Reserve "Bureinsky".

Efficient dealkalization of red mud and recovery of valuable metals by a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium.

Red mud (RM) is a highly alkaline polymetallic waste generated via the Bayer process during alumina production. It contains metals that are critical for a sustainable development of modern society. Due to a shortage of global resources of many metals, efficient large-scale processing of RM has been receiving increasing attention from both researchers and industry. This study investigated the solubilization of metals from RM, together with RM dealkalization, via sulfur (S0) oxidation catalyzed by the moderately thermophilic bacterium Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans. Optimization of the bioleaching process was conducted in shake flasks and 5-L bioreactors, with varying S0:RM mass ratios and aeration rates. The ICP analysis was used to monitor the concentrations of dissolved elements from RM, and solid residues were analyzed for surface morphology, phase composition, and Na distribution using the SEM, XRD, and STXM techniques, respectively. The results show that highest metal recoveries (89% of Al, 84% of Ce, and 91% of Y) were achieved with the S0:RM mass ratio of 2:1 and aeration rate of 1 L/min. Additionally, effective dealkalization of RM was achieved under the above conditions, based on the high rates (>95%) of Na, K, and Ca dissolution. This study proves the feasibility of using bacterially catalyzed S0 oxidation to simultaneously dealkalize RM and efficiently extract valuable metals from the amassing industrial waste.

Sustainable Development of Nature and Society in the Context of a Systems Transdisciplinary Paradigm

This paper attempts to substantiate the possibility of planning, forecasting and managing the sustainable development of modern society. Disciplinary approaches have proven ineffective in addressing the complex issue of sustainable development. As a result, sustainable development turned out to be in a group of concepts that reflect an idea that can be formulated in general terms. Therefore, it is important to show the possibility of solving this problem using a special scientific approach that has the necessary theoretical and practical capabilities. To achieve the goal of the article, a systems transdisciplinary approach was applied. The results of the study allow us to talk about the opening of a “window of opportunity” (2023-2030). These opportunities will allow the leaders of states and state unions to move on to planning, forecasting and managing sustainable development based on scientific approach. It is proposed to abandon the expert approach to solving complex problems, based on the intuition and foresight of disciplinary specialists. Instead of an expert approach, it is proposed to use a systems transdisciplinary approach based on the methodology of a scientific discipline - systems transdisciplinarity. In this case, specialists in systems transdisciplinarity (generalists) will strengthen of narrow disciplinary specialists in teams involved in solving high-threshold problems.

Social Networks as a Phenomenon of Virtual Learning in the Information Society

The paper presents in a brief form the main strategies for the development of education in the information society, gives a reflexive review of literature and practice to assess the impact of information and communication technologies on the education system. An analysis of the normative legal acts governing this still very young sphere of education demonstrates active institutional participation in integrating new technologies into all spheres of society. The paper describes the conceptual and methodological foundations of the culture of the information society, proposed for the interpretation and comprehensive assessment of learning processes, particularly the formation of digital competencies through the technology of social networks. The author noted that the sustainable development of modern society is impossible without the active involvement of the educational resource of social networks. At the same time, the humanistic significance of the information society is noted, its democratic potential in the process of socialization of the personality of each person and citizen is noted. The author concluded that, despite all the problems and difficulties, further work is needed in this important and promising direction in the context of a dynamically developing information society.

Biosurfactants: Sustainable and Versatile Molecules

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules produced by plants, animals, and microorganisms, that present emulsifying properties and may act reducing surface and interfacial tensions. When compared to synthetic surfactants, these biological analogues have high biodegradability potential, and may be produced from renewable raw materials within overall biotechnological processes involving low generation of residues. The production and application of microbial surfactants have been recently considered in several industrial sectors, as these low toxicity versatile compounds find applications in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and petrochemical products, in nanotechnology and agriculture, and in the bioremediation of xenobiotic-contaminated areas. Herein, the main conceptual aspects and physicochemical properties, as well as the classifications of biosurfactants according to their origin and their chemical structures, are addressed. The production of microbial biosurfactants through sustainable processes are also described, with particular focus on new applications and on the increasing relevance of such bioproducts for the sustainable development of modern society.

Political management for sustainable development of modern society

Political management for sustainable development of modern society

Global neopolitics: risks of sustainable development of modern society

The article analyzed the peculiarities of the development of modern society. It has been found that the social development of Ukraine corresponds to global trends and is aimed at participating in global cooperation. The matrix of world development, as well as for Ukraine is characterized by turbulence of the processes of functioning of society, which is manifested in the activation of a significant number of negative trends: the economic inability of a number of countries, the moral degradation of humanity, the intensification of protest sentiments by the intensification of terrorist activities. Therefore, these aspects allow to characterize modern global society as a “society of risk”. It was found that in order to achieve its sustainable development, it is necessary: to form a system of positive social, economic, environmental, political and cultural values, not only among the political elite, but also in other socially conscious strata; to restore legitimacy and trust in the existing institutions of power; to develop institutional mechanisms for predicting and managing risks, etc.

A Socio-Behavioral Approach to Understanding the Spread of Disinformation

Although the development of digital technology has increased communication efficiency, confusion caused by the rapid circulation of misleading information is hindering the sustainable development of modern society. Therefore, scholars have recently begun to pay attention to understanding the behavior of the public concerned with disinformation spread. In this context, the present paper attempts to provide a theoretical insight into the public’s motivations to spread disinformation and how these interact with socio-institutional variables, such as trust in government and media literacy, in the process of disinformation spread. Based on the evaluation of the traditional and modern literature on different types of information sharing behaviors as well as the key factors that are unique to the context of disinformation spread, we propose a conceptual framework of the socio-behavioral mechanism underlying the public’s communication of disinformation from the perceptual to communication level. Lastly, we suggest adequate government interventions based on the framework and a new culture that our society should endorse to be protected against the risk of disinformation. The current research will provide a foundation for the further development of human-centered solutions in the field.

Natural cotton-based triboelectric nanogenerator as a self-powered system for efficient use of water and wind energy

With the challenges of the energy crisis and related environmental issues, the development and utilization of renewable energy have become a mandatory requirement for the sustainable development of modern society. Recently, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been widely utilized in renewable energy sources harvesting, such as solar power, wind power, hydropower and so on. Here, a wheel-disk-shaped TENG based on natural pollution-free cotton is reported for simultaneously harvesting wind and water energy. 8.9 µA of short-circuit current and 782 V of open-circuit voltage are obtained by cotton assemble triboelectric nanogenerator (C-TENG) under a rotation speed of 210 r/min. The maximum peak power can reach 1.89 mW at a matched load resistance of 330 MΩ. Moreover, C-TENG can be used as a self-powered system to power electronic devices and sensing wind speed. This work not only presents a feasible solution for sustainable and clean energy harvesting, but also provides a reliable self-powered sensor for environmental monitoring.